The 4.2 plugin API adds two very frequently requested features: loading and unloading plugins without restarting jEdit, and loading plugins when they are first used, not when jEdit starts. However, plugins must be updated to take advantage of this. Most 4.1 plugins continue to work, however some API changes mean that old plugins might fail to load.

The following plugins already use the jEdit 4.2 deferred/dynamic loading API, or will use the API after the next plugin batch: